Government Union: The LAX Shooting Was Conservatives’ Fault

Never let a crisis go to waste. That’s the mantra of power-hungry politicians (is that redundant?). It was only a matter of time before the powers that be started calling for TSA agents to be armed and to have arrest authority. That way, if you make “inappropriate comments” or jokes about their security theater, they can hold you at gunpoint while other TSA agents subdue you and place you in handcuffs.

And predictably, they’ve blamed the incident on conservatives and their “anti-government” rhetoric.

The shooter’s “manifesto” was conveniently located in his bag, and it stated that he was going after TSA agents because of their many violations of Americans’ Constitutional rights. The page-long handwritten note also included a statement about “instilling fear in [their] traitorous hearts.” If you’re a liberal, you might be wondering where this deranged individual got these hateful ideas. Well, from Fox News, of course. And the Tea Party. Who else?

That’s what David Borer of the American Federation of Government Employees suggested. Politico reported:

Borer, from the union, suggested Ciancia’s apparent hatred of the TSA was linked to anti-agency rhetoric in Congress and the media.

“Is it directly related?” Borer asked. “I don’t know. I don’t pretend to know. But if all you hear on Fox News and the right-wing media day after day, that TSA is the enemy and these officers are molesting people.”

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) agreed, saying conservative organizations had created a “culture of hatred” against TSA.

“We’ve got to be more careful as leaders in the country in how we’re treating the TSA,” said Swalwell, who serves on the subcommittee that oversees the agency. He added, “When you demonize these folks the way you do, you fire up extremists.”

How convenient for the TSA that this Ciancia guy just waltzed in targeting TSA agents, and he even had a handwritten note detailing why he was doing it. And he made sure to include language about 4th Amendment violations, about how he didn’t like Janet Napolitano, and how he was “one pissed off patriot.” (You think maybe the TSA wrote the scripted note and paid this guy? Nah…they wouldn’t do that.)

But union officials are already offering a concrete proposal: create a new category of TSA agent in addition to the 45,000 existing screeners. People in the new positions would be law enforcement officers, who could carry handcuffs and firearms as well as make arrests.

Union leaders say the enhanced status would help protect an unfairly demonized workforce, as well as security checkpoints like the one where Friday’s mayhem began.

“We feel a larger and more consistent armed presence in screening areas would be a positive step in improving security for both [security officers] and the flying public,” said J. David Cox, president of the American Federation of Government Employees. “The development of a new class of TSA officers with law enforcement status would be a logical approach to accomplishing this goal.”

On Friday, union officials initially suggested simply giving every agent arrest powers. But they said Monday that that would be only a half-step.

An “unfairly demonized workforce?” Oh please. And simply giving every agent arrest powers would only be a “half-step?” These people are delusional.

It’s interesting though that their “solution” to this incident of gun violence is to arm everybody…as long as they’re government officials. See, if this shooter targeted civilians, the solution would be to place more gun-free signs at the airport.